Food support tray

Abstract

A food support tray comprised of an expanded paperboard mesh tray insert for a delivery carton such as a pizza carton or a fresh produce clamshell. The expanded paperboard mesh is adapted for supporting pizza or other food items on the bond peaks of the expanded mesh, thus isolating the food item from oil and juices that could make the fresh food item turn soggy.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray insert for a pizza carton. 
     
     
         2 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray made of biodegradable paperboard. 
     
     
         3 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 2  with a mesh patterns selected from a plurality of patterns. 
     
     
         4 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 2  wherein the mesh pattern has a strand height selected from a plurality of heights. 
     
     
         5 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 2  wherein the mesh pattern has a strand height of between about 1/16 inch to about ¼ inch. 
     
     
         6 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 5  wherein the mesh pattern forms a plurality of apertures through said paperboard having a short dimension of about 5/16 inch and a long dimension of about ½ inch. 
     
     
         7 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 6  having a transverse dimension of between about 3½ inches to about 18 inches. 
     
     
         8 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 2  that is heat cured and downdraft shock cooled after mesh expansion to render the expanded paperboard mesh food support tray more moisture proof and rigid. 
     
     
         9 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 8  that can be produced in a variety of colors. 
     
     
         10 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 2  that in certain iterations can be printed with advertising. 
     
     
         11 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 2  that can be manufactured in a variety of sizes and shapes. 
     
     
         12 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray as defined in  claim 2  made from specialized paper having additives applied thereto for extra moisture proofing or for preserving the shelf life of fresh produce. 
     
     
         13 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray formed from a roll of paper board having a weight of between about 250 GSM to about 250 GSM and a moisture content of about 6.5% by the process of:
 a. feeding the roll through a slicing station to form multiple transverse slits through the paperboard to form a knife cut strip of paperboard;   b. feeding the strip of knife cut paperboard through a pre-stretch station to form a strip of raw expanded paperboard;   c. feeding the strip of raw expanded paperboard through a curing oven to reduce the moisture content of the paperboard and form a strip of reduced moisture paper board with a selected width and a selected mesh patter;   d. cooling the strip of reduced moisture paperboard immediately after it passes through the curing oven to form a strip of cured paperboard having a selected width, mesh pattern and rigidity; and,   e. cutting said strip of cured paperboard to a desired length to form an expanded paperboard mesh food support tray.   
     
     
         14 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray formed by the process defined in  claim 13  further comprising spraying additives on said knife cut strip of paperboard to impart anti-microbial properties to said expanded paperboard mesh food support tray. 
     
     
         15 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray formed by the process defined in claim  13  wherein feeding said knife cut strip of paperboard through said pre-stretch station forms a plurality of apertures through said paperboard having a short dimension of about 5/16 inch and a long dimension of about ½ inch. 
     
     
         16 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray formed by the process defined in  claim 15  wherein said plurality of apertures are defined by paperboard strands having a height of between about 1/16 inch to about ½ inch. 
     
     
         17 . An expanded paperboard mesh food support tray formed by the process defined in  claim 13  wherein said expanded paperboard mesh food support tray is cut to have a transverse dimension of between about 3.5 inches and about 18 inches. 
     
     
         18 . Apparatus for forming an open mesh food support tray from paperboard comprising:
 a. a deployment stand for supporting a roll of raw paperboard having a predetermined width such that said raw paperboard may be removed from said roll as a continuous strip of paperboard;   b. a knife station having a plurality of spaced apart knives positioned to cut transversely oriented spaced apart slits through said continuous strip;   c. a pre-stretching station having a plurality of rollers for engaging said continuous strip and longitudinally tensioning said continuous strip such that said slits open and the predetermined width of the strip diminishes to form a mesh pattern of connected strands of paperboard surrounding a plurality of apertures in an expanded paperboard mesh strip;   d. a curing oven;   e. a down draft cooling station adjacent said curing oven;   f. a metering roller engaging said expanded paperboard mesh strip and urging it through said curing oven and down draft cooling station at a predetermined tension; and,   g. a cutter extending transversely of said expanded paperboard mesh strip and operable to cut said expanded paper board mesh strip in to lengths suitable for use as food support trays.   
     
     
         19 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 18  further comprising a misting station intermediate said knife station and said pre-stretching station for the application of additives to said continuous strip. 
     
     
         20 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 18  further comprising a take up stand for receiving aid continuous strip from said knife station and winding said continuous strip into a roll for storage or transport prior to entry into said pre-stretching station.